The wikipedia page indicates there is some debate about whether taking antipyretics is helpful, the idea being that the fever is a useful response for fighting said infection.
Do you take AP’s (Tylenol, aspirin, etc.) to reduce a fever? Do you take it for other symptoms (e.g. aches) and accept that reduced fever is a side effect? Do you take it only when you’ve got a bad fever that’s making you really uncomfortable?
If the temp is below 102 and the person is not immunocompromised, I don’t suggest an antipyretic, and don’t take them myself for such elevated temps. This is what they taught me at nursing school, and what The Mayo Clinic says, so it’s good enough for me.
I guess if someone was really uncomfortable at 101, I might suggest some ibuprofen, but it would be followed up with a suggestion that they see their doctor, or a doc-in-a-box, since a 101 temp really shouldn’t be all that uncomfortable with your run of the mill cold or “flu”.
I don’t suggest aspirin as a fever reducer to anyone. Too many people don’t grok the more accurate recommendation that aspirin not be given to children, so it’s safer just to have ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen on hand for fever reduction. Besides, aspirin has so many risks and side effects, it’s probably not the best choice even for adults.
If I have an illness that causes fever I inevitably have a severe headache, usually with nausea which is typical of 90% of bad headaches I have, so I take Advil in an attempt at pain relief (less pain will reduce nausea and let me eat). And it’s a fever reducer.
But I very rarely get fevers, and have never had one over 101. I don’t think it’s necessary to try to bring down such a low temp. But there is no OTC pain relief that works for me and isn’t also a fever reducer.
I don’t often get fevers (I usually run at the low end of the normal temperature range), and I do tend to medicate fevers because they make me feel so weird.
I let my kids run a fever during the day unless it gets too high, and then give them a little something in the evening so they can get a good night’s sleep.
For myself, I guess I just medicate for achyness and headaches, but not just to bring the numbers down. I rarely get fevers, though, so it’s not really an issue.
I know this is IMHO and we’re not supposed to critique other posters’ posts, but I feel like I really should step in and let you know that while this was once standard advice, we now know this is a dangerous practice.
We used to think that children’sfebrile seizureswere related to the number on the thermometer, and that very high fevers were the only way they’d be at risk of a seizure. We now know that it’s the abrupt increase in temperature, and that a seizure can happen at a lower temperature than you’d expect if a child’s antipyretic is withdrawn before the problem has resolved.
It’s a big problem with some immigrant communities who bring their kid to the ER with a fever. We give them ibuprofen, and they take the child home and think the problem is over, so they don’t give them more ibuprofen, and then they have a seizure when the ibuprofen we gave them wears off. I don’t know if it’s a cultural thing or a language barrier thing, but it’s one reason why we’ll sometimes admit a kid with a fever who doesn’t have a serious illness - so we can make sure s/he’s getting fever meds 'round the clock until s/he’s actually better.
So please, keep giving them the fever reducer during the day, okay? For me?
If it’s over 100, I take ibuprofen. Fevers tend to make my head feel funny and my heart starts racing, which is uncomfortable.
The weirdest fever I ever had was once during high school when I awoke from a nap randomly spiking at 102.8, no other symptoms. I told my mom I didn’t feel well enough to go to the school concert I was supposed to be in, went back to sleep, and woke up the next morning completely fine. Never happened again. It was very odd.
Usually, if I have a fever but I’m not in real discomfort, I’ll just drink more water, preferably chilled. If I’m uncomfortable, then I take some ibuprofen.
If I start to get a really high fever, I go to the doctor. I’ve had a few go-rounds with cellulitis, and cellulitis usually kicks my butt until I take some antibiotics.
I don’t treat fever in myself except incidentally if I’m taking Tylenol for something else (usually headache). The kids get treated at 101.5 pretty much regardless of anything else because I have a history of febrile seizures as does my oldest son and anything over 102 starts to make me nervous.
I don’t own a thermometer, but I can tell when I have a fever. I try to bundle up and sweat it out, but if I’m getting aches and chills I won’t hesitate to chug a few ibuprofen before bed.
How could you not be uncomfortable with a 101 fever? I’d be shaking with chills and sweat. Is that because I’m normally 97 and change? Would most people not be uncomfortable? I’m startled by your post.
shrug I dunno. Just is. 101 is where people in my experience, including me, tend to start thinking, “dang, I really *should *lie down like everyone’s been saying!”, but they’re not suffering delirium, sweats, muscle breaking aches or any of the other really fun stuff. But of course, people vary, and if you have a history of being miserable at a lower temp with a run of the mill cold, just take the ibuprofen, really. I’m not trying to judge, just trying to catch things that are out of the norm in case they really are important.
when i’m sick i either end up with a sub-normal temp or one as high as 103.
both ranges make me feel like i got run over by a road grader, which then had the nerve to back up and do it to me again, so i medicate with tyenol or tylenol pm, which will let me get some rest. i generally feel so damn rotten, i prefer to try to sleep through fever whenever possible.
if i can keep food down - a rarity when i’m sick - i’ll take aspirin, which works better on the aches and pains than tylenol does. if i can’t, i just chase the tylenol with water, juice, and seven-up.
I don’t take anything for fever per se. I do if I’m uncomfortable, but that’s always been because of some kind of ache, not the fever itself. I have to admit we didn’t own a thermometer till Widget came along, though, so I’m not actually too sure if and when I’ve had fevers.
WhyNot, can I ask at what temp you’d give a kid something to reduce fever? I’ve always done the same as PeskiPiksi - during the day, Widget only gets something if she seems uncomfortable or if the fever’s above 38 (100.4F). What’s the recommended temp to start giving a toddler antipyretics?